Questions We Get Every Day

Yes. For qualifying companies, the audit is designed to be a no-obligation way to assess your current PEO arrangement without added financial risk. There are no upfront costs, no hidden fees, and no requirement to move forward. We are only compensated if a successful match is made with a PEO that is genuinely right for your business, which means our focus stays on helping you make the best decision for your company.

Every PEO Audits review covers six areas: billing accuracy and hidden fees, benefits benchmarking against market data, compliance and regulatory exposure, contract terms and exit clauses, HR service quality and responsiveness, and workers' compensation coverage and classification. All six areas are included in every audit — nothing is tiered or held back for a paid version.

Companies with 10 to 150 employees that are currently using a PEO. We work across all industries and all states. If you have employees and an active PEO relationship, you qualify. Companies outside this size range should contact us directly — we evaluate larger organizations on a case-by-case basis.

PEO brokers help you select a PEO and earn commissions from whichever provider you choose. Their incentives are tied to the transaction. PEO Audits starts with an independent audit of your current arrangement — before any conversation about alternatives. We have no financial relationship with your existing PEO, and we earn only when a genuinely right match is made after the audit is complete.

We tell you exactly that, with data to back it up. Many clients use their audit findings to renegotiate better terms with their current PEO rather than switching providers. A well-documented "stay put" result is just as valuable to us as a successful match — it builds trust and leads to referrals.

Most audits are completed within 5 to 10 business days of receiving the necessary information. Multi-state employers or more complex arrangements may take slightly longer. We provide a clear timeline upfront and communicate at every stage so you always know where things stand.

Just the information in our request form — company name, industry, employee count, current PEO, location, and a description of your biggest pain points. After you submit, our team reaches out within one business day to confirm details and outline exactly what documents would be useful. You do not need to gather anything before starting.

No. The entire audit process is confidential. We do not contact your current PEO at any point during the review. Your information is never shared with any third party without your explicit consent.

We walk you through your findings on a call, answer your questions, and give you our honest assessment. From there, the decision is entirely yours. If you want to explore alternatives, we can facilitate introductions to better-fit PEOs. If you want to renegotiate or simply keep the report for reference, that is equally valid. There is no pressure or deadline on next steps.

Most overcharging is invisible to the untrained eye. It happens through administrative fee markup above contracted rates, billing for employees who have left the company, charges for services that were never activated, and markup applied to insurance pass-throughs. Our billing audit compares your invoices line by line against your contract and headcount to surface specific discrepancies and quantify the total overpayment.

In many cases, yes. We document every discrepancy with supporting evidence, which gives you a strong basis for requesting a credit or adjusting future invoices. Most PEO contracts limit how far back credits can be applied, but even recovering a few months of overcharges can be significant. We provide the documentation — the negotiation is yours to conduct, or we can advise on approach.

Ideally, 12 months of PEO invoices and a copy of your current contract or rate schedule. If you do not have these readily available, we will help you request them from your PEO — you have a contractual right to this information.

PEOs typically benchmark against their own prior-year offerings or against small businesses purchasing coverage on the open market — not against companies of your size using comparable PEOs. Our benchmarking uses current market survey data specific to your industry, company size, and geography. That comparison set gives you a meaningful, accurate picture of where your benefits actually stand.

Often yes. Different PEOs have different carrier relationships, group purchasing leverage, and plan design philosophies. A better-fit PEO may be able to offer richer coverage at the same or lower cost, additional plan options, or a stronger 401k match — depending on your size, industry, and location. Our benchmarking identifies the gap; we can show you whether the market has better options.

Yes. The benefits benchmarking component includes your 401k plan design — employer match rate, vesting schedule, investment options, and plan administration quality — benchmarked against current norms for companies of your size and industry.

No. The co-employment relationship shares certain compliance responsibilities, but your business retains liability in many areas. The scope of what your PEO actually covers is defined by your specific agreement, and it varies significantly between providers. Many business owners assume broader coverage than their contract actually provides. Our compliance review maps your real obligations against your documented coverage to identify specific gaps.

Significantly. Multi-state employers face a much more complex compliance landscape — each state has its own employment law, leave law, minimum wage, and reporting requirements. PEOs vary widely in their ability to manage state-specific compliance, and gaps are more common and more consequential for multi-state companies. This is one of the areas where an independent audit adds the most value.

Depending on the issue and the terms of your agreement, liability may rest with the PEO, with your business, or be shared between both. Our audit identifies which areas are clearly covered, which are clearly your responsibility, and which are ambiguous — so you know where you stand before a problem surfaces.

In most cases, yes — but the timing and cost depend entirely on your specific contract terms. Some agreements allow termination with 30 to 90 days notice with no penalty. Others have early termination fees or auto-renewal clauses that create significant financial consequences. Our contract review identifies your exact exit options, quantifies the cost of each, and pinpoints the optimal timing for a transition if one is warranted.

You may still have options. Depending on the circumstances — whether you were properly notified, whether the notice window was reasonable, whether rates changed at renewal — there may be grounds for negotiation or a structured early exit. Our contract review identifies your leverage points in this situation.

Yes, with proper planning. PEO transitions can be managed to minimize disruption to payroll, benefits enrollment, and employee experience. The key is understanding your exit terms, allowing adequate transition time, and choosing a new PEO with strong onboarding support. We help you understand all of these factors before any decision is made.

This is a completely legitimate and common outcome. Understanding what you have agreed to — and what market-standard terms look like — puts you in a much stronger negotiating position. Many of our clients use their findings specifically to renegotiate pricing, service commitments, or rate change provisions with their existing PEO.

A Professional Employer Organization enters into a co-employment arrangement with your business, becoming the employer of record for your workforce. This gives you access to group health benefits, shared HR administration, compliance support, and workers' compensation coverage through the PEO's master policy. A payroll company only processes payroll and related tax filings. PEOs are significantly more comprehensive — and significantly more expensive.

PEOs typically make the most sense for companies between 10 and 150 employees that do not have a dedicated in-house HR team and want to offer competitive benefits without the administrative burden of managing them directly. They can also be valuable for companies in industries with complex compliance requirements or significant workers' compensation exposure. The key is ensuring the specific PEO you choose is genuinely right for your size, industry, and situation.

No. PEOs vary significantly in their pricing models, benefits carrier relationships, technology platforms, compliance capabilities, service quality, and industry specialization. A PEO that is excellent for a 200-person technology company may be a poor fit for a 40-person construction company. Size, industry, geography, and the specific services you need all affect which PEO is genuinely right for your business.